


Theatregoing for the Lazy

by Featherine_Aurora



Category: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni | Higurashi When They Cry, Umineko no Naku Koro ni | When the Seagulls Cry, 彼岸花の咲く夜に | Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff and Humor, One Shot, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:14:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27195632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Featherine_Aurora/pseuds/Featherine_Aurora
Summary: Sometimes, witches just want to view something short for an escape from boredom. Here is a collection of such short escapes.A 07th Expansion one shot collection.
Kudos: 3





	Theatregoing for the Lazy

_What is Higanbana up to now?_

That was often a concern that Marie had to deal with. She liked the other youkai a lot, even loved her. But she could be really hard to deal with. There was no knowing what Higanbana could be doing when alone from Marie. She could be doing something bad or hurtful. So Marie was doing her best to find Higanbana, looking as hard as she could for any sign of her. Eventually, she did find Higanbana.

Her good friend was with another school youkai, the Black Tea Gentleman. Higanbana glanced up from her drink and smiled broadly. “Marie, it’s good to see you. What brings you here?”

Returning the smile with her own, Marie said “I just wanted to see you”. 

“And make sure I’m not up to anything you’d consider to be mischief, right? I know what you really mean”. Higanbana frowned. “I am the third ranked school youkai, the Dancing Higanbana. I am not like an ill trained pet that an owner might need to cautiously watch over”.

“Of course. I know that. But you know that I do have proper reasons for wanting to try to keep an eye on you”.

Higanbana mock pouted. “Don’t you trust me, your best friend?”.

“No, I didn’t mean to imply anything like that. I do trust you”, Marie said in a slightly panicked tone. “I might have my own values and that force me to act the way I do. But I also trust you. You’re my friend”.

“So, how are you going to prove that? How will you show the depths of your trust and of your friendship after implying in front of the Black Tea Gentleman that you distrust me?”.

One benefit of being a youkai was that you could hide your thoughts from other youkai. Marie took advantage of that now to sigh inwardly at the blatant effort to extort treats and time together from Marie. Both of those were things that Marie would happily give to Higanbana. But Higanbana would never just ask for them. Instead, she always needed to take a roundabout approach and make life harder for them both. 

“I can do that now by spending some time with you right now. That will prove that I really just want to spend time you now”.

“Is that all you’re going to put forward, Marie?”. Higanbana giggled. “This tea party has the Black Tea Gentleman providing everything. You are merely joining in the fun”.

“What can I do to prove my affection for you, Higanbana?”.

“Marie, I want you to spend more time with me. You’ve been spending more time picking fights with other youkai recently. Watching that can be fun, but I want to have you dedicate more time to being with me”. Higanbana made an exaggerated sorrowful expression. “I feel so neglected, Marie. You’re choosing all those humans you don’t even know over me”.

Marie didn’t know how to respond. It was true that she had been spending less time with Higanbana socially, but the other school youkai had been hunting more intensely recently. Marie had been busy defending vulnerable students as much as she could. There had even been a few incursion by non school youkai who saw the result of the hunting as chaos to exploit for their own hunts. Marie had dealt with one of those youkai herself. But Marie knew that Higanbana saw what Marie was doing as hardly important enough as to justify taking time together away from Higanbana.

_I’m not going to give up my efforts to protect the students. So what can I do to appease Higanbana?_

“If you won’t her bound to you, Higanbana, why don’t you just marry or something to that affect? Kuhuhuhu”.

The two of them turned to the Black Tea Gentleman and glared at him.

“What?”. After they both said that, Higanbana added “Why did you say something that stupid?

“It was just an idea I took from a recent conversation”.The Black Tea Gentleman took a sip from his cup, pausing to savour it before adding “Marriage is something that my dear friend Midori has been talking a lot about recently. The idea sounds like a fun novelty”.

Marie managed to stop herself from wincing at the Black Tea Gentleman referred to the person whose soul he continued to consume parts of in such a way. The Black Tea Gentleman probably really see Midori as a dear friend. Of course, Midori was still a human and this is what a friendship with a human would be like to the Black Tea Gentleman. That was just how youkai viewed humans. In fact, she knew that many youkai saw his way of feeding as soft. As much as the time Marie had lived as a youkai continued to increase, Marie couldn’t see humans that way herself. In fact, she hoped that she would never change so much as to adopt such a viewpoint.

As she was thinking that, Higanbana was giving her own response to the suggestion. “That idea might be something joyous for your pet. But it’s one not suited for youkai”.

“Some of the other youkai in this school would say the same of your bond with Marie”.

Higanbana’s eyes widened in shock at the Black Tea Gentleman daring to say that to her face. She then bared her teeth with a sinister grin. “Would they? I'd be happy to talk with such youkai about their opinions in my own way. We could have such a fun talk. Teeheehee".

“Then why not go further with your bond with Marie if you wish? You are the third ranked school youkai”. The Black Tea Gentleman shrugged. “Or you could just communicate your desires to Marie more honestly. Honey might work better at temptation than salt or, to be clearer, threats". 

Those words were met by a laugh from Higanbana. “You might be the Headmaster’s right hand, but I still feel like I must call you a dumbass right now”.

“Really? Such words wound me”.

Higanbana and the Black Tea Gentleman continued to argue, neither having much of an impact on the other with their words. This was eventually interrupted by the following words. 

“I wouldn’t mind doing that”.

Those words from Marie drew the attention of the two arguing youkai on to her.

“Marie, you can’t be serious. If you try to get me to marry, I’ll break off our friendship”.

“I don’t mean marrying, Higanbana! But the idea of making some sort of pledge to each other to affirm our bond sounds nice”.

“Really?”.

“Yes. Higanbana, I’d happily assert the strength of our friendship that way any time. That is how much I treasure you as my friend”.

“That does sound nice. I feel the same way. So maybe it wouldn’t be bad to show you my conviction with a pledge of friendship”. Higanbana . “But don’t start getting ideas about binding the way I hunt with such an oath”

Marie frowned. “I would never do such a thing”.

That made Higanbana laugh. “I know. But you know how much I like to tease you. Anyway, how does “I love you” sound as a possible option?”.

Those words were hard to respond to. After an awkward moment, Higanbana said “I’m joking, Marie”. 

Marie felt relieved for a moment. Unfortunately, Higanbana then added. “That would be too plain and dull, not suitable for our strong bond at all. Any pledge we make should be elegant and noble, as suits a youkai like myself and my wonderful friendship with you”.

Higanbana started coming up with idea after idea, each one more elaborate and intimate sounding than the last. The Black Tea Gentleman currently had one of his hands pinned in front of his mouth, surely to stop himself from laughing. At the same time, Marie sighed inwardly.

_The way this is going, she might as well just marry me._


End file.
